Daily Yellowstone journal., 1887-05-11
SIGHTS SEEN IN CUBA.
Notes Of Nh Observer Who Accompanied
the Senatorial Party.

eotes OF an Observer Who Accompanied
the Senatorial Party.
Upon the second day Of our stay in
Havana the senator's were invited to the
home of the captain general, the invita-
ton being sent through the American
consul, Gen. Williams. In accordance
with the invitation, the party Of dis
tguidos vialeros Americanos took car
riages about midday for the home Of the
great dignitary in the suburbs.
We made a funny string ot dilapidated
victorias, multitudinously patched and
mended, and measly little horses, which,
In appearance, beat the mule in SORROW
full abstraction and utter hopelessness.
We went i'm a heller SHELTER way up the
Prado, past the Campo Marie, and out
the Paseo Tacon TO the noted gardens and
country house of the Spanish ruler.
In the tropical gardens are worlds of
fruits and vegetables, many Of which we
never see in the north. Why, to see
them once leaves your mouth a little like
that Of a hungry dog cycling a forbidden
bone. In the same gardens there may
be ~cocoanuts, dates, lemons. oranges.
LINES, s~appadillos, zapotas, mammees,
pomegranates, bread fruit, bananas, tam
arinds, pine apples, mangoes, alligator
pears, star apples, grape fruit, guava,
custard apples, vans, rose apples, c~itrons,
and so on in an endless list.
The workmen were negroes and a few
coolies, slaves or ~ex-slaves, and some
Were nearly naked and all naked to the
waist. In the workshops | again OBJ
served a curious thing, and that is the
tendency to make all motions away from
the body. They sharpen pencils, white,
hew and saw never inward or toward
the body. 1t looks odd to SCI them saw
with the stick fixed in position and the
saw held perpendicular in front of 1t
with its back to the body, AMI thus raised
up and down. When a person wishes to
beckon another, he holds up his hand
with palm outward, gives a sharp
''p-s-s-t," which is the universal hailing
signal in Cuba, and then waves his hand
outwardly in exactly the opposite motion
to what we would make.
While we gathered a. the stables the
captain generals daughter had her splen.
did saddle horse, of pure Andalusian
blood and brought over from her home,
brought oas and shown off for us, while
a groom chung to him desperately TO keep
him down out of the clouds.
Finally we returned TO the house and
proceeded informally TO the dining ROOM,
where all were seated around a single
long table except the captain general
himself. who remained standing behind
his daughters chair during the meal.
Our party wal a good deal embarrassed
by this, for. as we Just filled the chairs.
it looked as though we had crowded ouI
our exalted host.
We then concluded that il was through
point of etiquette OF ceremony that he
did not sit at table with US. So anxious
were we that one of our ladies asked his
daughter. and she explained that nj such
affairs her father rarely seated himself.
He liked 10 stand and overlook the table.
and see that the servants neglected no
one. He never ate at such entertain
ments, as he has a weak stomach for in.
dulgenccs. and takes only very plain and
simple 1O,h regularly,
The servant were in gorgeous livery:
the wine was superb. ~ that some NJ the
connoisseurs Of our party felt their eyes
sparkle. and the refreshments simple in
character and plentiful.
When it came TO the champagne the
captain general made a speech. which
wa translated by the consul general. and
Mr.. Sherman responded, the consul gen.
eral again translating, and all drank
standing. The speeches were the usual
conventional exchanges of compliments
and good wishes, but the consul general
told us afterward that the captain general
spoke with more warmth and evident
sincerity than was usual with him on
such occasions.
Before we left an invitation was gwen
10 come again in the evening. when there
would lie music and dancing. A large
number of Our party accepted. and our
young ladies were much admired, and
made a great impression. The Spaniards
were greatly pleased at the ladies coming
and dancing, and our young mar showed
some Of the senoritas a thing or two in
Waiting.
The more we saw of Cuban women the
more w1qualificlly we acknowledged
their wonderful beauty. We hardly saw
a homely woman in Havana, and we saw
some beautiful beyond description.
There Is "a Snmrnrss about the h4aufy
that migli ia the collective grow a little
monolDnpu,. but an individual instance
Is incompatible.
Even If the face is not otherwise fine
the lustrou- eyes can light up and glorify
1t. and the ryes Of the Cuban wnmen are
like starr ut the summer night. and the
velyetv lack MISSES Of hair hound about
their heads and thrust through with a
gold bslkiu, after custom immpmorial in
old Spain, truly wuman's crown Of glory.
Tho scnsupls perfection IL their forms in
soft and graceful outlines. the witchery
of the dark eyes and alluring lips full
and rich. the sly grace of the fan or
cigarette. the dainty. arch~l feet. with
gold embroidered black stockings, and
that most beautiful Of all ornaments for
the head, the mantilla, have often been
celebrated in song and story and poetry,
but they never received any more praise
or admiration than they drecrved.-
Cuba Cor. Cincinnati Commercial Ca
1ettc.
Roats In Gsylon.